Contact printer



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ATTORNEYS W- E. MILLER CONTACT PRINTER July 21, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 3. 1961 INVENTOR. WiLhJa/m E. M ill/er 5 mg, W8: W

ATTORNEYS July 21, 1964 w. E. MILLER 3,141,398

CONTACT PRINTER Filed April 3, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 I I L z 72 IV M $12 73 29 77 57 INVENTOR 7| 77 73 Y WLlLmEMz/ller t 72 F 13 V WJ M 27c 72 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,141,398 CONTACT PRINTER William E. Miller, Salem, Ohio, assignor to Miller- Holzworth, Inc, Salem, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,281 3 Claims. (Cl. 95-43) This invention relates to photography. More particularly it pertains to a device for making positive prints from photographic negatives and similar transparencies.

In contact printing, as the name implies, a sensitive paper is exposed in contact with a negative. It is convenient that such printing be performed in a printing device usually referred to as a contact printer. Such printers are designed for photofinishing under varying conditions including illumination for papers of different speed and shading, or otherwise control of exposure on ditferent parts of the negative.

One common difficulty with contact printers of prior construction has been imperfect or uneven illumination which may be due to inadequate negatives or improper lighting. Most contact printers of prior construction have included means for improving the over-all method for contact printing by providing improved means for mounting the negative and print paper as well as for improving the illumination by using a smaller printing lamp or moving the position of the lamp to different positions. None of the foregoing methods have completely satisfied the basic problem inherent in contact printing.

Associated with the foregoing is the fact that changes in procedure are constantly being made for which most of the prior contact printers are obsolete. For example, a tendency towards mass production of prints has resulted in mechanization of printing procedures so that the required time of exposure is necessarily automatically controlled. In response to such a development, the users of contact printers have tended to use contrast paper of one speed and thereby minimize as much as possible the variables involved in producing a print having the desired shading or even illumination.

Associated with the foregoing problem is the variation in photographic negatives having light and dark areas which if not corrected would produce a print having areas of undesirable contrast. Most contact printers do not have adequate facilities built into them for satisfying all of the problems inherent in contact printing.

It has been found that a contact printer may be provided which satisfies all of the foregoing problems with a minimum of adjustment and maintenance. The contact printer construction of the present invention has an advantage of being provided with a light source which is mounted on a door or removable panel on the printer for easy maintenance and repair. The instant contact printer provides first dodging means for reducing or shading the light source in one area or another for use with a negative having extreme dark and light areas between the center and edges in one direction. Another dodging means is provided to move the light source over a greater or lesser area in a direction perpendicular to said first dodging means. The light source includes a single printing lamp which is used not only as a printing light but also as a safe light in combination with a safe filter.

In the past it has been found that the use of mirrors having a dead spot has provided a dead spot on the print. One of the dodging devices in the instant printer is a flat-surfaced mirror having at least two equal portions separated along a central separation line which in combination with adjusting means enables varying degrees of spreading of the reflected light over a greater or less area of a negative and thereby providing a more evenly illuminated print. The separation line of the mirror does ice not produce a dead spot in the print because the mirror is near the light source and remote from the printing surface.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a contact printer which constitutes an improvement over prior printers by providing evenness of illumination.

It is another object of this invention to provide a contact printer having light dodging means built into the printer for more evenly illuminating a negative having dark and light areas.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means for moving the path of light emanating from the light source in two opposite directions over the area of the negative.

It is another object of this invention to provide a contact printer having means for spreading the light for even illumination over a greater printing area.

It is another object of this invention to provide a concontact printer having means for balancing the light intensity from the center of the negative to the edges thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide a contact printer having a light source which may be used as a safe light in conjunction with a safe filter.

It is another object of this invention to provide a contact printer having all operating parts associated with the light source mounted on a door or on a detachable panel of the printer whereby ready access can be had for maintenance and repair.

It is another object of this invention to provide a contact printer having a toggle clamp for holding the platen in place and thereby avoiding the necessity of a latch on the front of the platen where it interferes with operation of the printer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a contact printer having new and useful improvements over contact printers of prior construction and having many features for providing photographic prints which features are collectively mounted on a door or readily detachable panel of a printer for easy maintenance and repair.

These and other objects and advantages, apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims, may be obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described difficulties overcome, by the apparatus, constructions, arrangements, combinations, subcombinations, elements, parts, and principles, which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the foregoing general statements, preferred embodiments of whichillustrative of the best modes in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-are set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

Generally, the contact printer of the present invention may be stated as including a light-tight housing having a detachable or hingedly mounted side Wall panel, a light source within the housing and mounted on said panel, means for focusing, reflecting, condensing, and projecting the light emanating from the light source to a print-receiving platen, and said means including a pair of shutters for dodging the light in opposite directions and including a rotatable mirror for directing and spreading the light into opposite directions perpendicular to that of the shutters.

In the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts. thereof FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the contact printer of the instant invention having the platen in the printing position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the contact printer having the platen in the non-printing position and having the maintenance door open and showing the operating parts mounted on the inner surface of the door;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the operating parts of the printer, and showing, diagrammatically, the light path in the printer;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, showing the inner side of the light compartment, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the rotatable mirror;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the mirror taken on the line Iii-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view through the mirror portions taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of an alternative mirror construction; and

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

In FIG. 1 the contact printer is generally indicated at 1 in the form of a cabinet or light-excluding housing having opposite side walls 2, a bottom wall 3 (FIG. 2), a top printing surface 4, a rear wall 5, and a front wall 6 having an opening 7 for which a door 8 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer is provided with a platen 3 for holding photographic negatives and contact printing paper or film in plate on the top surface 4 and the door 8 is in the closed position. In FIG. 2 the platen 9 is raised from the top surface 4 and the door 8 is in the open position.

In FIG. 3 a light box generally indicated at 10 is mounted on the inner surface of the door 8 for housing a light bulb or printing lamp 11 which is mounted on a bottom wall 12 of the box. The box also includes similar end walls 13, a side wall 14, as well as a detachable lid 15 having a visor 16 which is inclined downwardly from the upper edge of the wall 14. An air cooling system is provided for the interior of the light box 10 which system includes a blower 17, an air inlet conduit 18 as well as an air outlet conduit 19 which conduits communicate at their lower ends with an air inlet port 20 (FIG. 1) and an air outlet port 21 (FIG. 2). The upper ends of the conduits 1S and 19 communicate with the box 10 through an opening 18a above which a hood 18b (FIG. 6) is mounted for directing the air on the lamp 11. The air passes out of the box 15 through an opening 19a into the conduit 19. In FIG. 3 the optical light path is indicated by broken lines 22 which emanate from the lamp 11 and proceed horizontally through a pair of heat-absorbing glass plates 23 through a diffusion glass plate 24, through an opening 25 in the side wall 14, through a filter 26 and then to a primary mirror 27 from where it is reflected downwardly to a secondary mirror 28. From the secondary mirror the light path is reflected upwardly through a clear glass vignetting plate 29 (if used), a diffusion glass plate 30 (if used), a contact printing glass plate 31, and through a photographic negative 32 to a contact printing paper or film 33, which negative and film are held in surface-tosurface contact on the plate 31 by the platen 9.

The secondary mirror 28 is mounted at an angle on an assembly of spaced adjusting screws and springs 34 on the bottom wall 3 of the cabinet (FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of various filters, such as the light filter 26, are mounted on a filter turret 35 which turret is rotatably mounted on a shaft 36. A bracket 37 extending downwardly from the front wall 14 holds the turret and shaft in place. The shaft extends under the light box 10 and through the door 8 and has a 4 selector knob 38 mounted on the outer end portion thereof. Accordingly, various filters 26 may be selected for use as necessary.

The several glass plates 23 and 24 are mounted in glass slideways 39 secured to the inner surface of the front wall 14. The plates 23 and 24 are normally left unattended for extended periods of time except for occasional cleaning by removal of the detachable lid 15. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 7, the side wall 14 includes an outer wall member 40 which covers a recess 41 of rectangular configuration in the wall 14. Within the recess a safe light filter glass 42 is provided and mounted in one end of a lever member 43, the other end of which is fixedly mounted on the squared end portion 44 of an elongated shaft 45 which extends through the light box and the door 8 where a shaft-rotating knob 46 is mounted. By providing the safe light filter 42, the lamp 11 may be used as a safe light as well as printing light by moving the lever 43 from the solid line position to the broken line position of FIG. 7, in the latter of which positions the filter 42 is displaced from the optical light path.

In addition to the foregoing, the printer 1 is provided with means for dodging in order to manipulate the light path over part or all of the surface of the negative. One portion of the dodging means includes a pair of dodging shutters 47 and 48 which are mounted on the outer surface of the outer wall member 40 on upper and lower slide members 49 and 50. Each shutter 47 and 48 is separately movable horizontally into and out of the opening 25 for the purpose of reducing one side or both of the light path emitted from the opening. The means for moving each shutter horizontally in the slide members 49 and 50 includes a link 51 which is pivotally connected to a lever 52, the upper end of which is secured to an inner end portion of a rotatable shaft 53 which extends through the light box 10 and the door 8 to the outer side thereof where similar control knobs 54 are provided for separate manipulation of each shutter 47 and 48. the shutters 47 and 48 may be used together or separately for reducing or shading light in one arear where the right or left side of the negative is light in order to permit the remaining shaft of light to expose the negative with a more concentrated beam of light and thereby provide a more evenly illuminated print.

The dodging means also includes the primary mirror 2'7 which is mounted on a backup plate 55 (FIGS. 9, 10, and 11) which in turn is mounted by screws 56 on a rotatable shaft 57 which, as shown in FIG. 5, is journally mounted in and between spaced brackets 58 and 59 extending from the wall 14. On one end portion of the shaft a miter gear 60 is mounted which engages a similar gear 61 on the inner end of a rotatable shaft 62. The shaft s2 is disposed and journally mounted in and be tween a bracket 63 and the door 3. A control knob 64 is provided on the outer end portion of the shaft. The mirror 27 may be rotated about the axis of the shaft 57 in order to turn the mirror up or down for moving the light path over the photographic negative where the negative has light and dark areas.

Accordingly, the path of light may be manipulated in two directions perpendicular to each other; i.e., in one direction by the horizontal movement of one or both shutters 47 and 48 and in the other direction by rotation of the mirror 27, thereby concentrating or distributing the total light reaching the negative as may be required to produce a more evenly illuminated print.

In addition to the foregoing, the mirror itself is divided into at least two portions for providing a more evenly illuminated negative, as shown in FIGS. 9-11. One em bodiment of the split mirror 27 includes two mirror portions 27a and 27b which are separated by a dividing line 65 of minimum width. The line 65 extends transversely to the axis of the shaft 57 and is maintained by securing the half-portions 27a and 27b in place on the backup plate 55 by mounting remote end portions of the mirrors Accordingly,

within similar brackets 66 and by mounting adjacent end portions within opposite edge brackets 67.

In addition, two pairs of spaced mirror-tilting screws 68 are provided in the backup plate 55 on the back side of the mirror portions 27a and 27b. When the surfaces of the mirror portions 27a and 275 are aligned, the light path is reflected in an unaltered manner onto the secondary mirror 28. By adjusting the screws 68 the mirrors may be tilted by moving the adjacent end portions of the mirror members 27a and 27b outwardly from the backup plate 55 to a greater or lesser extent. In such positions, when the light path strikes the mirror 27, it is reflected outwardly to provide evenness of illumination at the rectangular printing frame. The split mirror 27 spreads the light so that light intensity is balanced over the entire area to be printed between the center and edges thereof. This is particularly desirable where larger prints are to be made. Accordingly, when the size of the print is increased, the light path which was satisfactory for the smaller print may not be sufficient to provide an even illumination over a larger print, particularly around the peripheral portions thereof. For that reason the split mirror 27 may be adjusted to provide even illumination over the entire area of the larger print.

As shown in FIG. 11, the adjacent ends of the mirror portions 27a and 27 b are similarly beveled at 69 in order to provide clearance to maintain the dividing line 65 between the mirror portions at any degree of adjustment. Inasmuch as the primary mirror is optically remote from the printing surface, the dividing line 65 does not produce a dead spot on the print.

Although the split mirror composed of two halfportions 27a and 27b provides a more satisfactory method of achieving light distribution than was heretofore available, the mirror may be divided into additional portions such as portions 27c, 27d, 27e, and 27 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in which four equal mirror portions are separated by transverse and longitudinal dividing lines 70 and 71. As shown, each portion is separately mounted in place on the backup plate 55 by similar brackets 72. Likewise, the abutting edges and ends of each mirror portion 27cf are beveled at 77 as shown in FIG. 13, so that when mirror-adjusting screws 73 are manipulated to turn the mirror portions at angles with respect to each other, the dividing lines 70 and 71 are of infinitesimal width. By providing four mirror portions 270- the light path may be distributed from the primary mirror 27 over an even greater portion of a larger print than was possible with the mirror having two half-portions 27a and 27b. Moreover, it has been found that the use of flat mirror segments as shown in FIGS. and 12 provides a more satisfactory light distribution than can be obtained by the use of curved (convex) mirrors as have been used in the past.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the platen 9 is mounted on plate 74 which is pivotally mounted on the cabinet 1 by a toggle mechanism 75 having a conveniently located handle 76 for raising and lowering the platen between the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the position of the platen 9 as shown in FIG. 1, the toggle 75 is rigidly secured in place during exposure of the print 33 to the film 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the platen is in the upper position where it is maintained by the toggle mechanism 75 by springs (not shown) of conventional construction. By providing the handle 76 on the toggle mechanism 75 the hand clamps of prior construction which were mounted on the front edge of the cabinet are avoided and therefore the handle 76 does not interfere with the operator.

The device of the foregoing construction provides a contact printer which overcomes disadvantages of printers of prior construction by providing many procedural features. Among other things, the printer provides a single light source which may be used for printing as well as a safe light. The printer also provides several new and useful dodging means whereby the light may be reduced or shaded in one area on the right and/or left side of a photographic negative.

In addition, the dodging means includes a rotatable primary mirror whereby the light path may be moved up and down over the photographic negative as deemed necessary. The primary mirror is provided with two or more portions which may be separately adjusted in order to arrange a more even illumination over a greater printing area, particularly where larger prints are to be made.

Another outstanding advantage of the contact printer is the provision of all parts having any possible maintenance requirement or repair in a readily accessible position, namely on the inside of the door of the printing cabinet. The door is located on the front side of the cabinet and knobs for manipulating the various dodging means as well as filters are provided on the door surface. In addition, the platen for holding the photographic paper and negative in contact is mounted on a toggle clamp which is mounted at the rear of the cabinet on pivot hinges having springs for holding the toggle and platen in their out-of-the-way position during arrangement of photographic prints and negatives in the printing area. At the same time, the platen may be brought into position for clamping the prints and negatives in place by a handle which also does not interfere with manipulation of the photographic prints and negatives when the platen is in the up position.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations have been implied therefrom as such words are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact construction shown.

Having now described the invention, construction, operation and use of preferred embodiments thereof and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful contact printer and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A contact printer including a light-excluding cabinet having an opening in one side wall, a door closing said opening, a contact printing surface in another side wall of the cabinet, printing light means within the cabinet for directing a path of light to the printing surface, dodging means Within the cabinet for modifying the path of light between the light means and the printing surface, the dodging means including light shutter means movably mounted adjacent the path of light, adjustment means for moving the shutter means into and out of the path of light, the dodging means also including a light-reflecting mirror mounted in the path of light, setting means for rotating the mirror, and the light means and the dodging means being mounted on the door of the cabinet.

2. A contact printer including a light-excluding cabinet having a contact printing surface on one side wall of the cabinet, another side Wall having an opening therein, a door closing said opening, printing light means mounted on the door, light-dodging means on the door and adjacent to the light means for directing and modifying a path of light to the printing surface, said light-dodging means including a light-reflecting mirror having at least two mirror portions separated by a dividing line and which portions extend at an angle with respect to each other, said light-dodging means also including a pair of light shutters movable to and from each other in a plane perpendicular to the light path and disposed between the light means and the mirror, the mirror being mounted on a rotatable shaft the axis of which is perpendicular to the dividing line of the mirror portions, and a second mirror in the path of light for receiving and reflecting the light from the first mirror and to the printing surface.

3. A contact printer including a light-excluding cabinet having an opening in one side wall, a door closing said opening, a contact printing surface in another side Wall of the cabinet, printing light means within the cabinet for directing a path of light to the printing surface, lightdodging means within the cabinet for modifying the path of light and including a light-reflecting mirror in the path of light, said mirror having at least two mirror portions with abutting edges separated by a dividing line and which portions extend at an angle with repect to each other, the mirror portions being mounted on a rotatable shaft, and

the axis of the shaft being perpendicular to the dividing line of the mirror portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A CONTACT PRINTER INCLUDING A LIGHT-EXCLUDING CABINET HAVING AN OPENING IN ONE SIDE WALL, A DOOR CLOSING SAID OPENING, A CONTACT PRINTING SURFACE IN ANOTHER SIDE WALL OF THE CABINET, PRINTING LIGHT MEANS WITHIN THE CABINET FOR DIRECTING A PATH OF LIGHT TO THE PRINTING SURFACE, DODGING MEANS WITHIN THE CABINET FOR MODIFYING THE PATH OF LIGHT BETWEEN THE LIGHT MEANS AND THE PRINTING SURFACE, THE DODGING MEANS INCLUDING LIGHT SHUTTER MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE PATH OF LIGHT, ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR MOVING THE SHUTTER MEANS INTO AND OUT OF THE PATH OF LIGHT, THE DODGING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING A LIGHT-REFLECTING MIRROR MOUNTED IN THE PATH OF LIGHT, SETTING MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MIRROR, AND THE LIGHT MEANS AND THE DODGING MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON THE DOOR OF THE CABINET. 